Political Cartoons and the End of Slavery
Guiding Question:
What do Civil War era political cartoons reveal about views of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of slavery?
Resources:
Handout A: “Lincoln’s Last Warning” (1862)
Handout B: “King Abraham Before and After Issuing the Emancipation Proclamation” (1862)
Handout C: “Emancipation” (1865)
Handout D: Political Cartoons and the End of Slavery Graphic Organizer
Handout E: Political Cartoons and the End of Slavery Answer Key
Explore:
Have students fill out the graphic organizer and answer the analysis questions while looking at the three political cartoons.
Analysis Questions:
- How do these cartoons reflect different views on the institution of slavery?
- The “King Abraham” cartoon shows Lincoln as deceptive. Explain why given your understanding of how Lincoln’s initial 1861 proclamation about the war being simply a fight to end a rebellion differs from the later Emancipation Proclamation which put slavery as a major reason for the war.
- What makes the last cartoon unique compared to the other two?